Attachments
by Mystiquota
Summary: There was always that one spirit who no one ever talked about. One of the oldest spirits born by the Man in the Moon, constantly wandering the Earth waiting for thousands of years for... well, she didn't really know. Now she feels like she's carrying the sky with the internal war between the nightmares and herself. Can a certain dysfunctional family be able to ease her pain?
1. Prologue

_**Summary: There was always that one spirit who no one ever talked about. One of the oldest spirits born by the Man in the Moon, constantly wandering the Earth waiting for thousands of years for... well, she didn't really know. Now she feels like she's carrying the sky with the internal war between the nightmares and herself. Can a certain dysfunctional family be able to ease her pain?****  
**_

**Welcome to my first fan fic!**

**This story will be different from all those ROTG fics that go will the usual plot: "new oc - chosen to be a guardian - falls in love with jack - pitch comes back - finally knows memories- ..." NO. This is different; wanna know how? just read on. **

**If you have any questions, just ask away in a review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians. It is property of Dreamworks Animation and William Edward Joyce.  
**

* * *

"Well, Kangaroo, you could have just warned me!"

"Ever heard of common sense, Frostbite? You've known me for years, yet you still don't understand how hard it is for me to prepare for Easter!"

"Bunny, calm down, I'm sure Jack didn't mean it."

"So you're on his side, am I right, Tooth? Of course you'd be on his side! It's because he's a kid isn't he? But he should learn!"

"Stop being so melodramatic, Kangaroo. And Tooth's right, I didn't mean it! It was an accident, what part of that do you not understand?"

"But Jack, you still didn't have to prank Bunny in the first place."

"It was supposed to be just a small one, North! If only Bunny took a better look out for his eggs, it wouldn't go out of hand!"

"Y'know what, Frostbite, I've had enough."

"Did you also know that I feel the same way? I'm out of here."

"See ya later."

"Jack! Bunny! Come back here!"

"It'll be alright, Tooth. They just need time to cool off, they'll be back, I'm sure of it."

* * *

The night was still; no laughter, no music, no rustling of leaves; just complete and utter silence - except for the grumbles of a certain white-haired boy.

"Stupid Bunny... stupid eggs... stupid Easter... and stupid me."

Jack sat on the gutter of one of the houses in Burgess, feet dangling in mid-air and staff held tightly. He sighed, it was just like the Blizzard of '68 all over again - another accident, more blaming and yelling at Jack Frost. "You just had to make mess of everything again, don't you Jack?" he scolded himself.

"Got yourself in trouble again?"

Jack jumped up at the voice and almost lost his balance. Then he suddenly recognized the voice. "Dang it, Fleur. Stop appearing out of nowhere." he said. The girl chuckled behind the tree leaves. A moment of silence passed between them before Fleur decided to speak up.

"Why didn't you try giving a sincere apology?"

"But Bunny-"

"But Bunny, what?"

"I-!"

Jack sighed in defeat._ It's because I was so stubborn, _Jack thought and stared at his bare feet. _This would not have happened if it weren't for my stubborness..._

"Jack, it's so simple. A sincere apology would do just the trick. Now don't get yourself a depression now, they're probably looking for you. They're your family, they want what's best for you and-"

"What do _you _know about family?"

Jack gasped — he really didn't mean to say that! "Fleur, no, I'm sorry-"

"No," she said darkly, "you're right. What do _I_ know?"

Another moment of silence. The Winter Spirit was mentally slapping himself upside the head. _Idiot, idiot, idiot._

"As I was saying, they're probably looking for you. And Bunny has something to say to you, too, Jack. It must be important."

The Guardian was still silent.

"It was nice seeing you again, Jack."

Jack widened his eyes, "Hey, wait!"

Leaves started to rustle louder, it seemed as if the Fleur was jumping from tree to tree. The Guardian quickly called the Wind and started following her. It soon ended up as a chase, the spirit jumping from tree to tree and Jack chasing her down. As the row of trees ended, the girl jumped down and ran as fast as she could, her brown cloak flowing in the breeze, but managed to keep her hood up. Jack kept his eyes on that cloak, determined to reach it to stop her from moving. _Almost there. _He grasped at the cloth, stopping the girl briefly. However, Fleur's instincts were rapid; she did a back flip, landing behind Jack, and untied her cloak. This momentarily blocked the Winter Spirit's vision. "Hey!" he exclaimed. He could hear her footsteps slowly fading, and when he got the cloak off him, she was gone.

Jack stared at the brown cloak he was holding and said, "I didn't even get to say thank you."

* * *

The Easter Bunny was in his Warren, trying to clean out the snow and collecting his eggs. It was quiet in the Warren, but it was loud and troubling in the Guardian's mind.

_We should never have trusted you!_

Memories from that day kept replaying in his head - the look on Jack's face was crestfallen when his heart broke when the Guardians thought he betrayed them. Betrayal. Such a strong and delicate word. It can change someone's perspective, maybe even change his life. And to think Bunny believed that some one like Jack, _of all people, _would betray them, the closest thing he has to a family. The Pooka felt really guilty, all of the sudden displeased with himself for taking away the child's only hope that time. Heck, he was the bloody Guardian of _Hope, _for crying out loud. He really hoped that he didn't do it again this time._  
_

_Well, he still didn't have to mess up my Warren! _Bunny thought. There was a war inside his head, undecided whether to forgive the boy or not.

"You should forgive him, you know."

The Guardian swiftly turned around, ready to swing his boomerang at who ever spoke. But the thing is, he couldn't find it.

"Alright, sheila, you better show your face!" he warned.

"You're just like him, you know? Same instincts. But different thoughts," she observed.

"You don't know what you're talking about! What do you want?" Bunny demanded.

"Just a small chat, if that's okay with you. And that I don't have to show my face to you," she simply replied.

The Pooka _hmph_ed and lowered his boomerangs, "Alright, sheila, what do you wanna talk about?"

"You... and Jack."

"Wait, how'd you know our names?"

"What spirit doesn't know about the famous Easter Bunny and Jack Frost?"

"Fair point," he mumbled.

"Anyways, you should forgive him."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because you don't want him to feel how he felt during the Easter 10 years ago _again_. You obviously care about him."

Bunny just stared at the ground. Maybe it was true, he cared about Jack, he was like that little brother... he once had. Bunny had always felt guilty about that Easter too, and obviously didn't want it to happen again.

"And admit it, you love how he pulls pranks on you and that you'd have payback. Do you want to stop that kind of brotherly relationship?"

Bunny was quiet for a moment, then whispered, "What should I do?"

"Like I said, forgive him, give him another chance. Maybe even ask him to help out here in the Warren to make it up to you."

"It's that simple?"

"That simple."

"Oh."

Neither of them spoke for a moment. There was a small shuffling noise which caused Bunny to turn around. Up in a tree, his eyes met with emerald green ones, almost just like his own. The girl watched the Guardian think for a moment before saying, "I might see you again soon, Bunnymund." Then she swiftly ran pass the large rocks of the Warren.

"Sheila, wait! I didn't even get your name!"

The noise of the girl's footsteps quieted down for a bit, and after a moment, she finally answered, "Fleur," then disappeared.

* * *

**Don't worry, you guys will learn more about Fleur in the next chapter, which is already in my hands ;) This chapter is terrible, I know. So please leave a review for me, I need tips. Criticism is highly appreciated, of course. Reviews keep me going, so review if you want the second chapter in two days time, or maybe sooner :) Favorites and follows are appreciated too!**

**See y'all soon!**

_**xxMystiquota**_


	2. Slow Dying Flower

**Angst up ahead; just saying.**

**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own Rise of the Guardians. It is property of Dreamworks Animation and William Edward Joyce.**  
_

* * *

_What a bunch of children, _she thought. A simple problem with a simple answer was not something to be worried about. Then again, they were a family, things like that would happen all the time and yet they would stay together. Fleur knew Jack and Bunny would eventually make it up to each other; she had seen fights like those before in other families. Those two were just like brothers in a dysfunctional family. She knew that the Guardians were trying their best to get closer with one another, to let each other know that they were important. But sometimes, someone just needs to fan the flame - just a little bit. That was what Fleur was trying to do - give a little push. It wasn't enough that they would soon forgive each other without knowing what they did wrong.

Fleur sat on the base of the statue in Burgess gazing up at the Moon. "Look, I don't know what you're going to do with me, just please make it good. I don't want to feel that the thousand years wandering the Earth was for nothing."

Just before the young - in terms of what age she turned into a spirit - girl found the Winter Spirit balancing on a gutter, she was just about to go home at the forest near Burgess, where the Boogeyman was concealed. Fleur would normally sleep on the tree branches. However, Fleur was just staying in Burgess for a short while, since she would eventually get bored and move on to another place on the globe. You might be thinking, "Why didn't she just go to the Guardians?" She hated them. With a passion. Why? Because she was ignored by them _for hundreds of years_. She believed that they didn't even know about her - though there was the exception of the Sandman and Jack Frost who she had befriended a few decades ago - and her theory was proved right when Bunnymund didn't recognize her name. Oh, Aster. How she _despised _him. Everyone had always believed he was the Spirit of Spring, but no one considered the fact that he was just the _Protector _of Spring. What was terribly ironic was that he didn't even know that what he was protecting was an actual spirit. It's common sense, really; if there's a Spirit of Winter, then there are spirits for the rest of the seasons aren't there? And who else would be the Spirit of Spring other than Althea Everett herself. Like Jack Frost, she had something to use to release her power with; a bow and arrow. How ironic it was; Spring was the season of life and yet her weapon was that of to kill. Each time one of her arrows had hit a plant of any sort, it would bloom to life. Fortunately she knew the limit of her powers and decided not trying it on humans. But her weapon wasn't the only source of her power. Vines could spread from the tip of her fingers and from the soles of her feet on her command. It helped her during times of combat, like when she had encountered Pitch (which happened on several occasions – making her feel relieved that Pitch finally had gone; letting her rest).

Then there was that Winter Spirit, Jack Frost.

It made perfect sense that they already knew each other, they were both seasonal spirits. And the fact that Spring came right after Winter made the two meet each other in different instances – you could say they were friends. Unless, you count not knowing what the other looked like. Thanks to the cloak, Jack never saw Fleur's face, and he was fine with it. Unfortunately, he had taken her cloak which served as a camouflage for her.

Fleur leaned her back on the statue. Her head rested on her palms as she contemplated her actions and words toward the two Guardians, "What was I thinking? I should never have approached, 'should never have tried to help them."

Despite her hatred for the Guardians, she always had a little hope that one of these days, her _entire _life would change and that the thousands of years wait was totally worth it. What she had done back there, however, was not something she did just to get noticed. It was a habit of hers to do something like that – be like a counsellor. Everywhere she went there were always arguments and broken relationships. But thanks to experience, she knew how to help the people, even if they couldn't see her. She would communicate with them in a way, or just lead them to signs to show her message to them. It was weird to her, that she would do that to others but she couldn't do it to herself.

Experience... that's all she ever had. Fleur had experienced everything; war, injury, loss, love, heart break – you name it. Happiness, however, only occurred around once or twice a year, and that was during the beginning of Spring. But there were always the nightmares. But the scariest part was that her nightmares were really her memories as a spirit, constantly haunting Fleur in her sleep. Sometimes she wondered what would it be like if she had refused Manny's offer. He really was itching her up, making her wait for _so long._ At times, she would almost lose her patience and considered joining Pitch. However, she had remembered about Spring; the season of life. It was the season when new life, _new hope,_ would come for everyone. Fleur was proud to be the Spirit of Spring, to be the one to deliver life. Heck, she even named herself "flower"! Joining Pitch would definitely ruin her – helping in spreading nightmares and fear to children? That would suck the life out of them – sometimes _literally. _So she stuck to waiting. And waiting. And waiting. For something she didn't even know of. She was just a small flower slowly losing her petals as time went by.

Fleur stared at the Moon above her, blankly staring at her. She stared back with pleading eyes, a broken look on her face. Then she closed her eyes, and fell asleep, to a fortunately dreamless sleep, hoping tomorrow would be a better day.

* * *

**That sort of just.. happened. **

**(kudos to you if you get that reference)**

**I apologize that it's short and kinda.. angsty, I guess. Though I hope you enjoy this chapter, it sort of is an introduction or part two of the prologue. And sorry that it barely has any dialogue. Please leave a review, fave, or follow, they really keep me going. And I need a beta reader, anyone up for the job? Hopefully the third chapter will be up soon :)**

**See y'all**

_**xxMystiquota**_


	3. Christmas Eve

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians  
**_

* * *

_Christmas Eve – North Pole_

Jack didn't like heat.

Warmth spread out through the workshop, much to Jack's disadvantage. However the amount of excitement for the holiday was enough for him to get distracted from the heat.

North was almost done giving out gifts to the children of the world, and the rest of the Guardians were already waiting for him in the Pole. They had made an agreement that maybe for once, they would have a Christmas together, as a family. Jack and Bunny had forgiven each other and Bunny had gotten calmer around the Winter Spirit – though there was the usual prank and the casual yelling, which they were both really fine with. And they both knew who to thank - yet both didn't know where to find her nor have heard of her for months. It was a mystery for them both, though they never mentioned her in public. The Guardian of Hope, however, felt like he heard that name before – _Fleur__ – _but where? Meanwhile, the Guardian of Fun still had Fleur's brown cloak, neatly folded under his bed in his room at the workshop. The two just wanted to thank the girl for getting them ever so lightly closer to each other.

* * *

North was going home.

He had exactly 30 minutes to get back to the Pole; 30 minutes before Christmas. All the gifts had been delivered to every boy and girl, waiting to be opened the following morning. However, there were still four neatly packed gifts in the back of the sleigh which still have to be delivered to one place – the North Pole. The jolly man was eager to go back to the workshop, absolutely loving the Christmas spirit in the air.

Then he heard the scream.

It was the scream of a youth, no doubt. And being the Guardian he is, North yanked on his reigns and dived down to where the scream came from. Fortunately, and unfortunate at the same time, he could hear the youth's sobs which led him to where he was. Or rather, _she._ The girl was clutching her right leg which had a long cut, and was starting to swell. Luckily, vines had been used cover the wound to stop the blood flow. The girl was slowly relaxing, letting out choked sobs here and there. North slowly approached her, careful not to scare her. She had heard his footsteps and acted quickly, notching an arrow to her bow and pointed it at North. "Woah, easy, I am not here to hurt you." He saw the girl's eyes widen for a second before she quickly masked her shock and lowered her arrow. The toy maker took off his coat and wrapped it around her, "This will keep you warm. I am North, by the way. I am going to bring you somewhere safe, okay?" The girl just stared at him, not saying a word, then reluctantly nodded. North picked her up and carried her to the sleigh. He laid her down in the back seat and went back to his reins. Then, he took out his snow globe, "The North Pole." The Guardian threw it across him and the large portal appeared.

"I apologize, but this ride might be a bit bumpy."

* * *

Tooth was worried.

They only had about twenty minutes before Christmas, and North wasn't home yet. Their presents were placed under the large and well decorated Christmas tree and the food was prepared on the table. Sandy was drinking more eggnog, Bunny was painting an egg, and Jack was playing with his snowflakes, all while Tooth was pacing – er, hovering – back and forth. "Where could he be? He should be here by now."

"Now, now, Toothy, the bloke's probably just running late due to all the gifts he's deliverin'. Rest a while, he'll be here," said Bunny. Tooth sighed, not that all reassured. She flew to the window and made a look out for the sleigh. Her eyes widened as she saw it enter the basement.

"He's back!" She flew towards the door to open it, but as she opened it, North was reaching for the knob. An unconscious girl was in his arms, her long green dress covering the vines that were wrapped around her right calf, which was a nasty black and blue colour. Tooth gasped, "North, happened?" The other Guardians looked up to see what was going on and ran to North. "No time to explain, this child needs medical attention. Tooth, get Phil for me please," North ordered. Tooth nodded with a determined look on her face and zoomed off to get the yeti. North had carefully set her on his arm chair and stared at her leg for a moment. "North... what happened?" asked Jack. North sighed, "I don't really know, Jack. I was on my way here and I heard her scream. As a Guardian, I couldn't just leave her there, especially on Christmas Eve!" Sandy perked up at this and glanced at the clock to see that they only had fifteen minutes left before Christmas. Before Sandy could notify the toy maker, Tooth had arrived with Phil. "Phil! Take care of her, she is injured. I am sure you can do this in a few minutes, yes?" The yeti saluted North, carefully picked up the girl, and went off to treat her injury.

North slumped down to his armchair and drank a glass of eggnog that was on the coffee table beside him. He let out a breath of relief, "Delicious eggnog." The rest of the Guardians smiled, happy to see that their leader was feeling fine. Sandy then tugged on North's sleeve. "What is it, Sandy?" The golden man pointed at the clock that read _11:50. _North widened his eyes, "Ten minutes! Boy, everything went so fast didn't it?"

"Ten minutes! Oh this is so exciting! Our first Christmas together, isn't it great?" Tooth chirped.

"Oh, let me get my presents first! I left them in the sleigh!"

North left to get his gifts for the rest of the Guardians, meanwhile the Guardians all had one thing on their minds – the mysterious injured girl. They assumed she was a mortal, believing they had never seen her before. But the most intriguing thing about her was her injury – who would want to hurt a young girl on the night before Christmas? Where were her parents – her family?

Then Jack had an idea.

"Why don't we let her celebrate Christmas with us?"

Then they started planning.

* * *

**I'm back! I'm sorry for the late chapter. I just really had no idea on how I was supposed to write this chapter, hence the horrible and short chapter. Please be a dear and give me writing tips in the review section, they will be really appreciated! Part 2 will be out soon hopefully.**

**And you may have noticed I have changed her name. I've done that for story purposes, kay? And I made some few changes in the previous chapters.**

**That is all, au revoir.**

_**xxMystiquota**_


	4. Intricate Bonds

Fleur felt numb.

She slowly opened her eyes to meet with a bright white light, forcing her to tightly close them again. Fleur dug her nails into the surface she was lying on – which appeared to be a soft mattress. With a careful push to the mattress, she succeeded in sitting up against the headboard. She then quirked an eyebrow when a large furry creature beside her (who she didn't notice for some unknown reason) speaking an unknown language to her. "Uh, hello?" she said, or at least tried to. Her voice was raspy and she started to have hiccups. The large creature beside her immediately widened its eyes and grabbed the glass of water across the room. The spirit hesitantly accepted the drink before nodding to the creature. She slowly took a large gulp of the water, instantly refreshing her mind and body, feeling relaxed. "Thank you," she whispered to the creature. He smiled at the girl, collected the glass, then went out the room.

Fleur attempted to stand up but immediately failed as searing pain encased her right calf. She fell back on to the bed and groaned, "What the - ?" She hiked up her skirt to see the lower half of her leg bandaged tightly. But the main thing she noticed was the tiny specks of black sand around the faint line of blood on it.

_NIGHTMARES – FEARLINGS – SAND – PAIN – FOREST – NORTH _

The Spirit of Spring rubbed her forehead as she remembered the previous events and realized she was at the North Pole. Fleur tensed; she was in the residence of the leader of the Guardians himself, and since it was Christmas, then _all of the Guardians _were _here! _

Fleur had never been more nervous all her life.

_I need to get out of here. _

She looked around the room she was in, and was relieved to see her bow and quiver of arrows placed on one of the chairs beside her bedside table. Using the said table as support, she limped towards her weapon. As she was reaching out for her quiver, someone knocked on the door. Fleur froze, and slowly backed away from her bow and arrows. She sat on the side of her bed just as the door opened.

"Oh hey, you're awake. Merry Christmas," said the visitor. Fleur caught her breath; she'd recognize that messy white hair anywhere. She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. Mentally smirking, she thought of a plan.

Fleur nodded in response while emerald green eyes met crystal blue ones.

"So, uh, would you like to join us? For Christmas dinner, I mean."

Fleur felt her heart flutter – she has never celebrated Christmas with someone else before! She smiled and nodded eagerly as her worries seemed to be washed away by the sincere invitation. Jack smiled back and gestured her to the door. The spirit stood up excitedly, but soon ended up sitting back down. The boy cringed at this and helped her up. "Here, use this as a crutch for the mean time," he gave her his staff, which she gratefully accepted, and exited the room.

What Fleur didn't expect was a large hall with Christmas decorations. Then again, she was in the house of Father Christmas himself.

"Merry Christmas!"

Fleur whipped around to see the famous group of five in front of a large Christmas tree, all smiling at her. The spirit gaped at them, never feeling more welcome than she had ever been. But inside, she was scared – scared that they would know about her, scared that they would try to get her independence and make her join them. Oh, how nervous she was with her plan, hoping that it would work just fine.

The girl smiled widely and approached them. She nodded at them, letting out a sigh of content. On her right, the Easter Bunny raised his eyebrows. "'S wrong, Sheila? Cat got your tongue?" The other Guardians frowned at this, looking at their guest intently for an answer. _Oh this is gonna be fun, _Fleur thought in her head.

The stranger looked up in realization, pointed at her throat, then shook her head. "You can't speak?" suggested Jack. The girl nodded sadly.

For a second, just a second, Fleur could have sworn there was immense pity in the Guardians' eyes. That was until Tooth perked up, "Hold on, I've got just the thing!" Then she zoomed out of the room. They all stared at the spot where she used to hover over. After a few seconds of staring and blinking, the Tooth Fairy returned. She flew over to Fleur and handed her a notepad and a pen. The notepad showed colours of blue, green, purple, gold and silver, in the shape of diamonds. The pattern had also been copied unto the pen. Fleur looked up to see the fairy smiling. "I used these notepads to make my notes for the fairies when I'm gone. Whatever you write in it gets projected when opened for the person to see. You can have this one, so you can talk to us easily. Merry Christmas," she finished. Fleur stared at her violet orbs and blinked, looking back at the notepad. She took her pencil and wrote:

"_Thank you. And Merry Christmas to you too."_

The words lifted from the paper and rose to the air, reforming. The projection made the Guardians smile, then dissolved after a few seconds.

"I'm Toothiana, by the way. Tooth for short. And that's Sandy," she pointed to the golden man.

The large man with the white beard stepped forward, "I am North. You might know me as Santa Claus."

"The name's Bunny," said the large Pooka

"More like Kangaroo, really," muttered the white-haired spirit.

"Oi!"

The albino chuckled then shook his head. "I'm Jack - Jack Frost."

Tooth looked back at Fleur, "And you are..?"

Fleur stared at her notepad and wrote down the first name that came to mind: _Emily._

She paused for a moment, then added: _Emily Jane._

Fleur saw the Sandman scowl at the name, but shrugged it off. North grinned, "What a wonderful name!" He clasped his hands together, "Well then! It is time to eat. You must be starving, Emily." He gestured to the long dining table behind him, food of all sorts stacked upon it. Fleur felt her mouth water at the sight of it. She approached the table with longing and took a seat while the Guardians followed her example. She hesitantly took a bite of the chicken that was on her plate and hummed in delight_._ Fleur smiled before slowly stuffing herself with the best tasting food she had had for _decades_. The Guardians looked at her with amused looks on their faces before letting them enjoy the food as well. Tooth had stuck with eating only a few vegetables and meat, avoiding all sorts of sugar infested dish as possible. Sandy and North allowed themselves to most of the food on the table, accompanied by several glasses of eggnog. Bunny and Jack had taken hold on most of the sweets as Tooth cringed for the sake of their teeth.

Christmas carols played in the background, enhancing the Christmas spirit. After finishing her meal, Fleur leaned on her chair and stared at the room surrounding her. Five beautifully woven stockings hung above the fireplace, the Christmas tree right next to it. The tree was almost as tall as the room, wrapped in bright blinking Christmas lights, ending with a shining gold star on top. Several gifts were left at its feet, coming in different sizes and shapes. Fleur felt a bit crestfallen at the sight of them. _Fleur, get a hold of yourself. Why would they get you a gift when they've just met you? _She shook her head. Fleur started writing in her notepad:

_Excuse me. I will be going to bed now, and I will leave in the morning. Thank you for having me. Merry Christmas._

She gently pushed the chair backwards and stood up with great difficulty. The spirit froze as a hand was placed on her shoulder. "C'mon, you can't leave yet! We're about to open our presents!" Fleur looked to her left to see Jack with an encouraging smile on his face. She couldn't believe her ears and kept blinking at him. _Presents..? _The thought of them left Fleur flabbergasted. She slowly returned to her seat, her mind blank and heart racing. This was the last thing that she thought would have happened. Fleur stared at the Christmas tree, allowing its magnificence take over her thoughts. That was until Jack waved his hand in front of her. "Hello? Earth to Emily? It's time for presents!" he said. Fleur shook her head and smiled at Jack's enthusiasm. The spirit slowly stood up and approached the tree, using Jack's staff as a crutch once more. Sitting down beside the rest, Fleur shot a grateful smile to Jack, who returned it.

North cleared his throat, "Now, dear Emily, we are sure you are still very tired, no?" Come to think of it, Fleur had been very exhausted and suddenly felt the desire to fall asleep on the spot. Instead, she fought back the temptation and nodded. "Well then, we must give you our present first. Here." The jolly man gave her a small box covered in green gift wrapping, with a blue ribbon on top. The girl took it in her hands and stared at it in awe. "Well? Open it!" said Tooth excitedly. Fleur grinned and unwrapped her present. She gasped. Inside was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen; its pendant was a flower covered in golden sand and intricate frost designs, attached to two colourful feathers. She slowly took it out of the box and put it around her neck. After staring at it for a while, she immediately grabbed her notepad and started writing furiously.

_Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! It is absolutely the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Thank you!_

As the message projected into the air, Fleur hugged North as tight as she could, as he was the one closest to her. North chuckled and hugged her back. "Oh don't thank just me, Emily. These four came up with the idea and I only helped making it. Whoever hurt you got you really badly. So we thought this would cheer you up. Merry Christmas, young Emily."

Fleur looked at the rest of the Guardians in awe and hugged each and every one of them. Once she finished, she stared at her necklace again, taking in its beauty. Then out of nowhere, she let out a yawn, which surprised the rest. "Of course! You must be tired now. Sweet tooth, do you mind taking her to bed?" asked Tooth. Jack nodded in response and helped Fleur up. "Merry Christmas, Emily Jane!" exclaimed the Guardians, before she left the hall.

* * *

Jack left Fleur in her room and bid her good night before leaving. The Spirit of Spring lay down in contentment that the day had brought and closed her eyes. She had just celebrated Christmas with the Guardians! _The Guardians..._

Fleur widened her eyes and realized the mistake she had made. This was definitely not part of the plan, and it caught her off guard. She let her hands cover her face and groaned. How could she have missed this? Letting the Guardians get.. get _attached _to her! The attachment she had never wanted to happen. Fleur turned to stare at her window with a troubled look on her face. She intended to leave as soon as possible, but now she couldn't decide if she wanted to. She was supposed to hate the Guardians! Hate them for leaving her alone for hundreds of years! But after what they did today... she couldn't.

_No. I need to leave now. Save them the trouble. _

After a few preparations, she grabbed her bow and quiver and opened the window, letting the cold breeze take over the room. With one last look behind her, she left.

* * *

The next morning, Tooth knocked on Emily's door with a breakfast tray on her hands. "Emily?" She placed the tray on the ground and opened the door. Tooth gasped.

"_Emily?!"  
_

* * *

**And that's a wrap! Whew, that's the longest I have ever written. Sorry for the delay, my schedule's been very hectic lately and I'm going back to school next week. So before I go to school, here's a little something for you! I might not update till late August, I'm sorry. But I will do my best to update sooner than that, I promise!**

**Your reviews, follows, and favourites are always appreciated and keep me going! Also please leave me writing tips, I need them :)**

**See you next time,**

_**xxMystiquota**_


	5. Found

_Disclaimer: I am just an ordinary teenage girl who has no ownership whatsoever of the movie Rise of the Guardians or its characters.  
_

* * *

"What do ya mean she's gone?!"

Tooth zoomed from left and right, feeling worried for their missing guest. "She's gone! Disappeared! Not there! Oh guys, where could she be?!"

"Now, now, Toothy, she could still be here somewhere. Everyone look around. There must be something!"

The five Guardians split up and looked through the entire North Pole for the missing girl. How could she have possibly left with that injury? And with no trace! This intrigued the Sandman the most. _She can't be-!_ It was after ten minutes did Tooth try looking underneath Emily's pillow. She turned to her mini fairies, "Tell the others I found something. They need to see this." Her fairies saluted and went to pass the message. Five minutes later, the Guardians were all back in Emily's room.

"She left a note," said Tooth, showing the notebook. She opened it, letting the message form in mid air.

_Dear Tooth, Bunny, Sandy, North and Jack,_

_I'm sorry to leave you, but I had to go. Please don't bother looking for me, I'm fine. Thank you for treating my wound and giving me food, it means a lot. The famous five Guardians need not worry about me - you must go back to your duties._

_Again, thank you._

_From, Emily Jane_

"'_Don't bother looking'_my arse! The Sheila could be freezing out there!" Bunny exclaimed. Jack looked at the spot where the message had dissolved, wondering how in the world could the girl survive in the winter cold. He stared at the closed window in the room. _Why did she leave?_

North nodded, "We will be looking for her! But she is also right, we have duties. Tooth, Sandy, you need to get to work, unfortunately. Tooth, your fairies need your instructions, you must get home."

"What?!" Tooth cried, while Sandy sighed and nodded. "But-!"

"No buts, Toothiana. The children need you! But if you insist on helping, send fairies to find her; much faster."

The fairy's shoulders drooped, but nodded anyway. "Jack, Bunny, you're not busy, no?"

The two shook their heads. "We'll find her, North. Don't worry," assured Jack.

And off they went to find the missing Emily Jane.

* * *

"_Ahh, yes. The daughter of Pitchiner, himself. The next best thing."_

"_What do you want?!" exclaimed the brown haired girl._

_The dark spirit chuckled, "Oh, little girl. We want_**_you_**_."_

_Multiple scenes showed before her eyes – times that she never liked going back to; the ones that broke her heart._

"**_How could you leave me?"_**

"**_My son!"_**

"**_I should never have trusted you."_**

"**_I thought we were a family.. I guess we weren't."_**

"**_You made it worse! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"_**

_Tears welled up in Fleur's eyes as she covered her ears, "No! Shut up! STOP IT!"_

_More memories came to show, words shouting in her ears. Fleur landed on her knees, tears flowing freely on her face, "Please... Please stop it.."_

_And the spirit listened; there was nothing but the silence and the darkness. "We shall meet another time... Mother."  
_

* * *

The worried chirps and anxious buzzing of the mini tooth fairies' wings greeted Fleur as she woke up, sweating from the previous nightmare. Fleur's pounding head did not help at all with her shallow breathing. She looked up to see several familiar hummingbird breeds looking at her in worry. She stared at the fairies in confusion as she wiped away the remaining tears on her cheeks. Then it clicked – _they were looking for me!_The spirit slapped herself upside her head and looked at the fairies, eyes filled with worry, temporarily forgetting about the nightmare.

Fleur plastered a smile on her face and asked, "Why, hello mini Tooths! What are you doing here?" The hummingbird breeds chirped excitedly, zipping back and forth as they explained. However, this just left Fleur frowning, "Oh right. I'm sorry, but I don't understand you." The fairies' chirps came to a halt, and their leader gave herself a palm to her face. Fleur looked at her sheepishly and sighed.

"The Guardians are looking for me, aren't they?"

Several of them nodded. Fleur groaned and rolled her eyes. She then stared at her leg - her wound left a long scar, and suspicious looking black vein-like lines, on her lower calf. Due to Fleur being the spirit of life, she was able to heal most of her injury. For a moment, it had become the most interesting thing Fleur had laid her eyes on, but that moment had to end when one of the tooth fairies pecked at Fleur's arm.

"Hey!" she cried, rubbing her arm. The fairy crossed her arms and gave the spirit a stern look. Fleur quirked an eyebrow at her, "You're a feisty one aren't you? Well, fine." She stood up and leaned against a tree, arms crossed. "I'm just kidding. I'm not going back with you," she smirked.

The fairy's smirk wasn't at all the reaction she was expecting. The leader turned to face the other fairies and nodded, suddenly heading towards the sky as the others followed her. Fleur's eyes widened at this. "Hey, come back! Where are you going?!" Her face paled as her back slid down the tree in exhaustion. Her previous sleep had been restless and drained the happiness out of her. The psychological aftermath of her nightmare had just started affecting her. Fleur stood up and collected her bow and quiver. "I.. I need to... I need to go... Can't let.. the Guardians find me.." she panted, stumbling as she walked. It was not long until she met with darkness once more.

* * *

Sunshine seeped through the windows of the silent room. Fleur groaned as she opened her eyes from the dreamless sleep. She sat up against the headboard of her bed. The spirit rubbed her eyes and stared at the window. The snow was falling gently to the ground, letting Fleur to momentarily enjoy the peace that ensued. She smiled. _Jack did a really good job._

_Knock knock_

Fleur turned to face the door. She swept the blanket covering her legs away, stood up, and answered the door.

A gasp greeted her, followed by a tight, feathery hug. "Oh, Emily! We thought you'd never wake up! Thank goodness you're alright!"

Fleur's heart almost stopped at the action, her eyes wide. She slowly relaxed at the comforting hug, and hesitantly hugged the fairy back. Tooth let go of her and smile. Then she remembered something. "Oh! Right. I'm going to tell the others. _Stay here. _I mean it," she ordered Fleur with a stern look. She replied only with the shake of her head and an encouraging grin. Tooth was satisfied with this and went on her way.  
-

"_Nevah, evah, do that again!"_

Fleur sit crossed legged on her bed, once again eye wide at the furious Bunnymund. Before he could say, or yell for that matter, Fleur put her hand up in front of him. She glanced at the tooth fairy and used her hands to show the action of writing. Tooth understood her and went out the room, and returned with Fleur's notepad. The spirit of Spring accepted it gratefully and started writing.

_Well, I told you not to look for me, didn't I?_

The second the message dispersed into thin air, Fleur regretted writing it, for this just had angered the Pooka more.

"You're a child, Emily Jane! We need to protect ya, especially with the wound of yours!" he pointed at her calf.

Internally smirking, she lifted her leg to show the healed injury. The Guardians were taken aback by this, but all the more intrigued. Sandy stepped forward to touch it, but hesitated, waiting for Fleur's approval. After her nod, he examined the remaining scar. _She used magic! _He thought. He stared at Fleur wearily and she couldn't help feel ashamed. _He knows._

"But-but, _how?" _North stammered.

Fleur just gave an innocent shrug, which increased the suspicions of the Guardians even more.

* * *

**I PROMISED A CHAPTER BY THE END OFTHE MONTH AND HERE IT IS.**

**PRAYDE I DONT CARE IF ITS SHORT I NEEDED TO POST IT AND KEEP MY PROMISE.**

**Also: I know this chapter sucks, I really do. I'm so sorry that the Guardians are OOC. Next chappie's gonna change that. Do me a favor and tell me some writing tips in the review section. **

**All reviews, follows, and favorites make my heart sing and give me more motivation to write!**

**I've already started on the next chapter, which was supposed to be part of this chap, but I felt like I needed to end it there. Next one's gonna be long, I promise! Hopefully, I can manage to make it a good one too.**

**MORE TO COME**

_**Xx Mystiquota**_


	6. The Lies that Hurt

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians**_

* * *

"I don't trust her."

"Bunny!"

"What?"

Tooth sighed, and simply looked at North, as if waiting for a reply. The jolly man sat in his beloved armchair beside the warm fireplace. Tooth hovered beside him, Bunny stood arms crossed beside her, Sandy was drinking more eggnog on another armchair, and Jack sat on the crook of his staff in deep concentration. Bunny cocked his eyebrow at him, "And what are you thinkin' about, Frostbite?"

The spirit blinked a few times then shrugged. "It's just.. there's something off about her. She's keeping something from us, I can feel it. Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm siding with the kangaroo."

"Oi!" commented the Pooka.

"Jack's right," North suddenly said. "She's not human. That scar, it could not have healed over night. She must be a spirit.

"Let's stay here for a while, yes? Bunny, you can paint your eggs here. We need to keep an eye on her."

The others nodded at this (well, Bunny eventually did, reluctantly), but one question still remained in their minds: _Who _is _Emily Jane?_

And boy, were they anxious to find out.

* * *

The moment the Guardians closed the door was the moment Fleur fell back on her bed. Despite the long rest she had had, she was mentally and emotionally exhausted. She covered her face with her hands, and let out a deep sigh.

And that's when it all started flooding back to her.

"_We shall meet another time... Mother."_

Fleur's calf hissed in pain once again and she immediately grasped it. The spirit forced her magic to work for her, acting as a pain killer – being the spirit of life had its perks. It had taken her quite a while to close the wound two nights before, and it had definitely drained her. However, she felt as if the wound had worsened; the black specks of sand had followed the patterns of her veins, ever so slowly spreading. But luckily so far, it was not so obvious. But still, Fleur had made an effort to hide it with her long white skirt.

Once, she had finished, she once again cradled her face in her hands. That dream, _that nightmare, _was the worst nightmare she had ever encountered, and she had lived for almost a thousand years, mind you. Memories Fleur had pushed back forcefully into the back of her mind and heart, where she had vowed to never visit, came flowing out gracefully, like a stream. But they were also like Fleur's arrows that came out of nowhere, but instead of giving life, injected pain into anything it touched – in this case, Fleur. But, she wouldn't give up. Again, she was the spirit of spring, the spirit of _life. _To fulfil her job, she needed to be full of life as well.

Unknowingly though, tears were streaming down her face, her green eyes looked glassy, as if they were fragile. The words that had been said to her, in those memories, from the past, Fleur remembered, were said to her. And the people who had said them were now dead.

"_Oh little girl, we want __**you**__."_

Then all of the sudden, her eyes widened and she let out a loud gasp.

_"I was attacked by__**Fearlings**__!"_

Fleur immediately jumped out of bed and tightly clutched onto her hair. _No, no, no!_She hiked up her skirt and observed her scar. She had simply thought that they'd be black sand to give her a few nightmares, and they would sooner or later wear off, but she knew that this time it wouldn't.

This would have explained her nightmare, how it could have been as heart wrenching as it had been, how they accessed her memories.

If only the Guardians had not distracted her would she have dealt with this sooner! Fleur paced back and forth, and for the first time in a long while, she had no clue on what to do.

Fleur's breathing shortened. _There was a Fearling inside of her._

* * *

Jack knocked on the door. "Er, Emily?"

No answer.

He turned the knob of the door, finding it surprisingly unlocked. The spirit of winter slowly opened it, just to see the black haired girl sitting on the window sill, staring blankly at the darkness, and the snow covered ground.

Jack, wanting to light the mood just a little bit, asked, "Fan of my work, are we?"

Still no response.

His shoulders drooped at the silence and cautiously approached Emily. He had no idea what was going on, but he decided he'd try anyway. "Uh, Emily?" he tapped on her shoulder. Only then was Emily aware of the spirit's presence. She turned to face him, simply blinking. She climbed out of the sill and grabbed the notepad and quill from the desk on her bedside.

_"Yes?" _she wrote.

"Well, er, we were wondering if you would like to join us for dinner," Jack rubbed the back of his neck, obviously feeling uncomfortable.

Emily was silent for a while, then hesitatingly wrote on the notepad. _"That would be lovely. I'm starving."_Jack grinned at this and held out a hand for her, other hand already on the door knob. She gratefully accepted the invitation and went out the room.

* * *

"Good night, Emily Jane!"

"Uh, North, I'm pretty sure the expression is 'Good Evening.'"

"Evening, Night, same thing, yes? Anyway, sit down, girl. Let's eat!"

Fleur smiled widely at this and graciously took a seat. What? She _was_ hungry.

After two chicken legs, a slice of apple pie, three slices of ham, two eggs of chocolate (thank _God_for Bunny bringing some of them), and a cup of eggnog (it tasted _horrible_. How could Sandy drink this stuff?), Fleur laid back in her chair, clutching her full stomach. Next to her was Tooth, who had barely eaten anything. "Too much sugar," she had said. _Huh_, Fleur thought. _Oh well, her loss. _

She looked at the people that surrounded the table, all sighing in content of the delicious meal. Only then had Fleur realized who her company were. Curiosity took over her and she quickly wrote down a message.

_"Why?"_

The Guardians stared at the message of sand rise, then slowly disintegrating in mid-air. "Er, Sheila? I think you need to specify that a bit more," Bunny pointed out. Fleur wrote again,

_"Why are you doing this? Invite me to dinner? Take care of me? What's the point?" _

The Guardians were taken aback by this response, which wasn't anything they expected. Bunny and North's faces told the message, _"Are you kidding me?"_while the others looked concerned. Jack stared at the girl with genuine curiosity. The look on her face was... lost. And for a moment, he felt as if he saw his own reflection.

Before the Guardian of Hope could say anything, Jack spoke up. "Because that's what we do – take care of those in need. And in fact, we quite like doing it. What's the point? To make sure that you know that someone cares about you."

The other Guardians closed their mouths at this and simply nodded, looking at the girl for a response. All she did was quirk and eyebrow.

_Really? But what if I already was taken care of, loved already, and you just kidnapped me? _She wrote, though she knew that that was really not the case.

"Oh yeah, sheila? Well, it didn't look like it when North found ya alone and bleeding in the forest, on Christmas Eve too on that note. Ya think we wouldn't think about it? And now, we'd like to know why ya were in the forest. Actually, first things first: _who are you?" _

Fleur was taken aback by how direct the Pooka was, unintentionally gripping the sides of her chair. Bunny rose while he talked, and now he was back in his chair staring at Fleur intently. "Well?" The girl let go of her grip and placed her hands on her lap, staring at her empty plate, mind racing. She had to make things up, _and fast. Or, _Fleur thought. _I could tell them the truth. _She grabbed her notepad and pencil. As she was about to write on the blank paper, she smirked internally. _Okay, let's just tweak it a lil' bit. _

The girl just shrugged and wrote. _"I am Emily Jane, spirit of Spring."_

Jack frowned at this. "I'm sorry, but Fleur is the spirit of Spring. And if you were, then why don't Bunny and I know you?"

"Wait, who's Fleur?"

Bunny was the one who spoke up first. "Dunno, never knew there was a spirit of Spring. Met her before Easter," then he said slowly, making eye contact with Jack, "She helped me get closer with Frostbite o'er there."

Jack's eyes immediately lit up. "I saw her last Easter too. And.. she gave me some pretty good advice," he said slowly. Inside, Fleur was grinning. She was able to help after all.

Once the Guardians were looking back at Fleur for an answer, she snapped out of her trance. Quickly, she looked back down at her notepad and wrote down the first lie she could come up with.

_Fleur's gone._

The spirit looked back up at the glittering message and realized what she had written. _This wasn't part of the plan! _She scolded herself.

The first one to speak was Jack. "I, er, what?" he croaked. Fleur felt guilty all of the sudden, but anger washed over her just one second later. _Why would he care?_

"What?" exclaimed Tooth.

North was running his hand through his scalp.

She wrote more, trying to calm herself down. _She's gone. Gone, forever. And I took her place. And when I saw her before she died, she told me that she was glad to go._

Fleur finished writing what she wanted to say with a satisfying tap to make the period. _That will put them in their place, _she thought.

A very awkward silence came over the dinner table. A cold and hard object started to feel heavy around the spirit's neck. She immediately grasped at it, her fingers clutching the object. It turned out to be the necklace the Guardians had given her for Christmas. She took a look at it, captured by the intricacy of the piece of jewelry. Golden sand placed on the right places on the unique designs of frost, and the soft colourful feathers attached on the bottom seemed to make the whole thing stand out. _This came from the Guardians_, Fleur's conscience reminded her. _Maybe, they really are just nice people, and really care about you._

Fleur shook her head immediately. She was absolutely losing her mind.

_Well, _she thought, _that's what a thousand years alone does to you._

She really needed to stop talking to herself in her mind.

The clearing of a throat drew Fleur back from her trance. The girl snapped her head up from the necklace to the source of the sound – which happened to be North. She quirkier her eyebrow, waiting for what he was going to say. She looked around to see the other Guardians looking down at their laps. North looked at Fleur with sad eyes, "I – we – are very sorry. I think this calls for a proper funeral."

Fleur bit her lip. _Ah, shit._

* * *

The black-haired spirit closed her door gently and slid down to the floor. She covered her face with her hands and sighed. _What a long day. _Fleur dragged herself to her bed, and collapsed right unto it, immediately falling asleep.

* * *

_Black sand floated above her, circling her like a predator to a prey. It began to take form into a wolf, its sharp teeth showing as it grinned, snickering at the girl. _

"_Oh, sweet, sweet, little girl. How we've missed you! Now, let's get started, shall we?"_

_The wolf smirked, then pounced._

* * *

Fleur woke up with a scream.

* * *

***appears in a puff of smoke* I am back! Yes, I am! after 4 fricking months! I know, I'm the worst writer ever. AND YES PRAYDE I KNOW THIS IS SHORT**

**Man, I'm so sorry for all the readers for being a slow updater. I'm just extremely busy in life especially because of school. **

**But, it's almost Christmas, so this is my gift to you all! I did my best, and I hope this chap was okay. Oh, and I'm so sorry for all the confusion; the main character's name is Fleur, not Allison. Sorry.**

**Happy holidays to all of you, sweethearts! **

_**xxMystiquota**_


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